in nz one pet cat managed to almost wipe out an entire species of native bird by himself, feral cats later became a problem on the island and finished off the remaining few, now that bird is extinct thanks to the cat...
They are a huge problem over here since all our native species are birds and small creatures that fit perfectly into a cats mouth.
Although they are my favourite animal, they are also very dangerous pests.

I've always been told about how horrible/evil I am to own snakes because they kill rodents to eat(funny, they keep barn cats for that very reason), but I know if both my snake and my cat escaped, the cat would do far more damage to the environment, and eat a heck of a lot more rodents!

Not that they aren't great pets. Owners just need to be more careful with them. They aren't so innocent

As someone who has done more for cats than the average person, the aforementioned 50+ spays/neuters from my own pocket obviously not enough, I can call them vermin. It is in a semi-affectionate manner, but they still are. Having dealt with the vicious, semi-feral creatures enough, you can't help but view them as such. You can't reason with them like you can dogs. They would rather die than let you have your way. I am well aware that they will probably always be in my life, and I will even say that I have loved a few of them, but those tend to be the more dog-like. And indoor cats? I swear that no one in my area has ever heard of such a thing! Preposterous! It is almost as unheard of as spaying and neutering!

Indoor cats are so much nicer anyway..so much less stress..no worries they have been hit by a car or attacked by coyotes, or worse. Yuck. No outdoor cats for me. My mom always tries that, and it just ends up with us having dead cats. What made me mad was she let my baby, my indoor kitty, go outside while I was in college. She was fat, had been indoors her whole life, and was declawed. And she never came home. I'm still so upset about that. Ugh. Moving on.
Lol I know what you mean by feral cats. One of our cats is actually..sort of mentally handicapped. Makes her sort of crazy and as if she had never been tame, poor girl. She's just so full of fear. It's precious in the moments she is able to be calm and happy. She's also our most loyal cat. You can see how much she wants to be with us, but is just too scared.

Well sure but that doesn't make them vermin...I'm just saying. People keep rats, snakes, actual textbook "vermin" on this board and no one insults them. I get the idea but I think some respect is a good idea since everyone here loves animals and tries to own and breed responsibly..

Well sure but that doesn't make them vermin...I'm just saying. People keep rats, snakes, actual textbook "vermin" on this board and no one insults them. I get the idea but I think some respect is a good idea since everyone here loves animals and tries to own and breed responsibly..

I just had to chuckle at this! Thankfully it's true, no one has insulted snake owners on here, but boy take a step outside into the real world and it is NASTY! I've been called a devil worshipper hahaha, but no really, I totally get what you mean. I get sensitive when people call my favorite animal names, so I can understand how the word is offensive. It was a bit harsh!

Also sorry, but fixing a lot of cats makes you a good person, but doesn't entitle you to anything. I think it's important to remember that PEOPLE need to spay and neuter their cats so they aren't everywhere...Cats will do what they are naturally inclined to do - breed, eat everything, and destroy potential populations of animals..

Wait, that sounds a lot like people too, doesn't it? Without the human manipulation to populations naturally and unnaturally present on earth, many ills of animals and their repercussions wouldn't be an issue in the first place. It comes back to us, and it's important that we be respectful of other living things and do our best to keep, breed, and own animals responsibly.

Maybe I should give you my definition of vermin: animals that reproduce in crazy numbers and live on the fringe of human societies. Often dirty, sometimes disease ridden. (fleas, feline aids, leukemia, god forbid rabies)

I have owned everything from pigs, rats, tarantulas, chickens, goats, rabbits, snakes, lizards. You name it, I have probably had it. Nothing fits my definition better than cats. I seriously do love cats, I wouldn't and couldn't have done as much for them if I didn't love them. And I am not insulting people who own them so much as the problems that people not owning them have caused for me. It is just how I view them as animals. Like I said, it is in a semi-affectionate way that I call them vermin.

Well sure but that doesn't make them vermin...I'm just saying. People keep rats, snakes, actual textbook "vermin" on this board and no one insults them. I get the idea but I think some respect is a good idea since everyone here loves animals and tries to own and breed responsibly..

I laughed so hard when I read this. :p I have been insulted more times than I care to remember for being a rat owner. Not here, but in person and on other forums.